Great Groups to Join and Learn From

There’s a lot to learn and enjoy at the websites of these organizations devoted to heirloom plants, historic landscapes, and bulbs. We hope you’ll consider joining one or more of them, to learn more, meet fellow enthusiasts, and support their good work.

Scott’s Tips for Finding Real Heirloom Plants

The search for authentic historic plants can be both fun and challenging. Modern hybrids are often very different from earlier varieties, many once-popular plants have all but disappeared, and counterfeits are common. Here are some tips to help you find real live antiques:

1. Start with what you have — including what seem to be weeds. Every site has old plants waiting to be re-discovered and re-appreciated.

2. Look over the fence — literally — and down the road. Ask neighbors, relatives, friends, and older gardeners. Heirlooms often persist in family gardens.

3. Collect seeds or plants from abandoned sites (with permission and sensitivity — never endangering the continued existence of that plant at its original site).

4. Consider species or wild forms of garden plants, which were usually the first in gardens.

5. Search to the cultivar level. Same genus and species is NOT the same plant. For example, Paeonia lactiflora ‘Humei’, introduced in 1810, is unlike any 20th-century P. lactiflora (and forms of P. officinalis, P. suffruticosa, and P. tenuifolia — as old as they may be — aren’t even close).

6. Join a group. See our list above for some of the best.

7. Order online. Though local nurseries definitely deserve our support, you’ll find a much greater diversity of heirloom plants offered by mail.

Great Sources to Explore for Heirloom Plants

These are some of our favorite sources for historic flowers and edibles. Many are run by friends of ours, so please tell them we said hello!

GardenWatchdog.com — This popular catalog-rating website features customer reviews of thousands of sources. We’re proud to be the Watchdog’s #1-rated company for not only Heirloom Bulbs but ALL bulbs.